The present disclosure relates generally to an interface device for coordinating or interfacing multiple input devices with at least one output device. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a localized interface between multiple operator control consoles and at least one output device to coordinate and monitor the operation of the at least one output device.
In some control systems, multiple operator consoles are used to control and monitor one or more output devices. In such a system, each operator console may be configured to transmit control signals to the output devices at any given time. As a result, conflicting control signals from the operator consoles may be received by the output devices, resulting in an unwanted response by an output device or a fault state by the control system. In addition, troubleshooting such control systems may be difficult if the nodes on the control system, including the operator consoles and the output devices, are physically remote from each other.
According to one illustrated embodiment of the present disclosure, an interface device is configured to coordinate control of at least one output device by a control system including first and second control consoles. The interface device comprises a circuit board having a plurality of conductive pathways, and first and second connectors coupled to the circuit board. The first and second connectors each include a plurality of pins coupled to selected conductive pathways of the circuit board to provide a communication link to the first and second control consoles, respectively. The interface device also includes a third connector coupled to the circuit board and a plurality of switches mounted to the circuit board. The third connector includes a plurality of pins coupled to selected conductive pathways of the circuit board to provide a communication link to the output device, and each switch is coupled to at least one conductive pathway of the circuit board to electrically couple the switches to at least one of the first, second and third connectors. The first and second connectors receive signals from at least one device selection input and at least one device control input of the first and second control consoles, respectively. In response to receipt of a device selection input signal for a selected output device from the first control console before receipt of a device selection input signal corresponding to the same selected output device from the second control console, at least one of the plurality of switches enables the at least one device control input of the first control console corresponding to the selected device. In response to receipt of a device selection input signal for the selected output device from the second control console before receipt of a device selection input corresponding to the same selected output device from the first control console, at least one of the plurality of switches enables the at least one device control input of the second control console corresponding to the selected device.
In an illustrated embodiment, the control system further includes a communication network and an output module coupled to the communication network and configured to receive network signals from the first and second control consoles over the communication network. The interface device further includes a fourth connector coupled to the circuit board. The fourth connector includes a plurality of pins coupled to selected conductive pathways of the circuit board to provide a communication link to the output module. The output module transmits the device selection input signals for a selected output device received from the first and second control consoles to the fourth connector to trigger the at least one switch to enable the respective device control input.
According to one illustrated embodiment of the present disclosure, an interface device is configured to coordinate control of at least one an output device by a control system including first and second control consoles. The interface device comprises a circuit board having a plurality of conductive pathways, and first and second connectors coupled to the circuit board. The first and second connectors each include a plurality of pins coupled to selected conductive pathways of the circuit board to provide a communication link to the first and second control consoles, respectively. The interface device also includes a third connector coupled to the circuit board, and a plurality of switches mounted to the circuit board. The third connector includes a plurality of pins coupled to selected conductive pathways of the circuit board to provide a communication link to the output device. Each switch is coupled to at least one conductive pathway of the circuit board to electrically couple the switches to at least one of the first, second and third connectors. The first and second connectors receive first control signals from inputs of the first and second control consoles to activate a selected output device and second control signals from inputs of the first and second control consoles to control operation of the activated selected output device. At least one of the switches coupled to the third connector is configured to automatically send an activation signal to the selected output device in response to receipt of a first control signal, thereby permitting control of the activated output device by a second control signal also sent through the third connector to the selected output device.
According to yet another illustrated embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of coordinating control of at least one output device by a control system including first and second control consoles includes providing an interface device comprising a circuit board having a plurality of conductive pathways, first, second and third connectors coupled to the circuit board, the first, second and third connectors each including a plurality of pins coupled to selected conductive pathways of the circuit board, and a plurality of switches coupled to the circuit board, each switch being coupled to at least one conductive pathway of the circuit board to electrically couple the switches to at least one of the first, second and third connectors. In one illustrated embodiment, the method also includes using the interface device to coordinate control of the at least one an output device by the first and second control consoles by: electrically coupling the first and second connectors to the first and second control consoles, respectively, to provide a communication link between the interface device and the first and second control consoles; electrically coupling the output device to the third connector to provide a communication link between the interface device and the output device; using at least one of the plurality of switches to enable at least one device control input of the first control console corresponding to a selected output device in response to receipt of a device selection input signal for the selected output device from the first control console before receipt of a device selection input signal corresponding to the same selected output device from the second control console; and using at least one other of the plurality of switches to enable at least one device control input of the second control console corresponding to a selected output device in response to receipt of a device selection input signal for the selected output device from the second control console before receipt of a device selection input signal corresponding to the same selected output device from the first control console.
In another illustrated embodiment, the method includes using the interface device to coordinate control of the at least one an output device by the first and second control consoles by: electrically coupling the first and second connectors to the first and second control consoles, respectively, to provide a communication link between the interface device and the first and second control consoles so that the first and second connectors receive first control signals from inputs of the first and second control consoles to activate a selected output device and a second control signals from inputs of the first and second control consoles to control operation of the activated selected output device; electrically coupling the output device to the third connector to provide a communication link between the interface device and the output device; using at least one of the switches coupled to the third connector to automatically send an activation signal to the selected output device in response to receipt of a first control signal; and controlling the activated output device with a second control signal also sent through the third connector to the selected output device.
According to one illustrated embodiment of the present disclosure, a system for coordinating control of an output device by a plurality of different operators comprises a first control console having at least one device selection input to select at least one output device for control by the first control console and at least one device control input to control operation of at least one selected output device from the first control console, and a second control console spaced apart from the first control console. The second control console also has at least one device selection input to select at least one output device for control by the second control console and at least one device control input to control operation of at least one selected output device from the second control console. The system also includes an input/output control system coupled to the first and second control consoles and to the at least one output device. The input/output control system is configured to receive signals from the device selection inputs and the device control inputs of the first and second control consoles. In response to receipt of a device selection input signal for a selected output device from the first control console before receipt of a device selection input signal corresponding to the same selected device from the second control console, the input/output control system enables a device control input of the first control console corresponding to the selected device and disables the device selection input of the second control console corresponding to the selected device. In response to receipt of a device selection input signal for the selected output device from the second control console before receipt of a device selection input corresponding to the same selected device from the first control console, the input/output control system enables a device control input of the second control console corresponding to the selected device and disables the device selection input of the first control console corresponding to the selected device.
In one illustrated embodiment, the device control inputs of the first and second control consoles include a first control input to activate the selected output device from the first and second control consoles and a second control input to control operation of the activated selected output device from the first and second control consoles. In one illustrated embodiment, the input/output control system is configured to automatically send an activation signal from the input/output system to the selected output device in response to receipt of a signal from a first control input, thereby permitting control of the activated output device by a corresponding second control input. In another illustrated embodiment, the input/output control system is configured to receive signals from the first and second control inputs of the first and second control consoles, the input/output control system being configured to transmit signals to the selected output device to activate and control the selected output device in response to the signals from the first and second control inputs, respectively.
In one illustrated embodiment, the first and second control consoles each include a display to monitor operation of the at least one output device. In another illustrated embodiment, in response to receipt of a device selection input signal for a selected output device from the first control console before receipt of a device selection input signal corresponding to the same selected device from the second control console, the input/output control system enables monitoring of the selected device on the display of the first control console and disables monitoring of the selected device on the display of the second control console. In response to receipt of a device selection input signal for the selected output device from the second control console before receipt of a device selection input corresponding to the same selected device from the first control console, the input/output control system enables monitoring of the selected device on the display of the second control console and disables monitoring of the selected device on the display of the first control console.
According to another illustrated embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for coordinating control of an output device by a plurality of different operators comprises providing a first control console having at least one device selection input to select at least one output device for control by the first control console and at least one device control input to control operation of at least one selected output device from the first control console, and providing a second control console spaced apart from the first control console. The second control console also has at least one device selection input to select at least one output device for control by the second control console and at least one device control input to control operation of at least one selected output device from the second control console. The method further comprises enabling a device control input of the first control console corresponding to a selected device and disabling the device selection input of the second control console corresponding to the selected device in response to receipt of a device selection input signal for the selected output device from the first control console before receipt of a device selection input signal corresponding to the same selected device from the second control console, and enabling a device control input of the second control console corresponding to the selected device and disabling the device selection input corresponding to the selected device on the first control console in response to receipt of a device selection input signal for the selected output device from the second control console before receipt of a device selection input corresponding to the same selected device from the first control console.
According to another illustrated embodiment of the present disclosure, a system for coordinating control of an output device by a plurality of different operators comprises a first control console having at least one device selection input to select at least one output device for control by the first control console and at least one device control input to control operation of at least one selected output device from the first control console. A second control console spaced apart from the first control console also has at least one device selection input to select at least one output device for control by the second control console and at least one device control input to control operation of at least one selected output device from the second control console. The system further includes a means coupled to the first and second control consoles and to the at least one output device for receiving signals from the device selection inputs and the device control inputs of the first and second control consoles. The system further includes a means for enabling a device control input of the first control console corresponding to the selected device and for disabling the device selection input of the second control console corresponding to the selected device in response to receipt of a device selection input signal for a selected output device from the first control console before receipt of a device selection input signal corresponding to the same selected device from the second control console. The system further includes a means for enabling a device control input of the second control console corresponding to the selected device and for disabling the device selection input of the first control console corresponding to the selected device in response to receipt of a device selection input signal for the selected output device from the second control console before receipt of a device selection input corresponding to the same selected device from the first control console.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Although the drawings represent embodiments of various features and components in the present disclosure, the drawings are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be exaggerated in order to better illustrate and explain the present disclosure. The exemplification set out herein illustrates embodiments of the disclosure, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.